The first Poverty Truth Commission in County Durham began in the spring of 2024.
Fifteen Community Commissioners (individuals with lived experience of poverty) were recruited from Ferryhill, Shildon, Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe. These areas were chosen due to their status of ‘left behind neighbourhoods’, that is, places which face the double disadvantage of high deprivation and a lack of social infrastructure.
View the Left Behind Communities map here
From September 2024, Community Commissioners and project workers met fortnightly to begin to build relationships, develop trust and start to share stories and experiences of poverty.
In one of the early meetings, they were asked what about being involved were they anxious and excited about:
From January 2025, preparation for the launch event stepped up, and meetings moved to weekly. Our community commissioners are a great bunch of individuals with experiences of many issues such as addiction, being a care leaver, homelessness, the asylum seeker process, domestic abuse and many others. In the months leading up to the launch event, they worked hard to develop their stories and plan the event, in the process forming great friendships and support networks.
They decided to decorate the hall with paper flowers, which are commonly regarded as weeds, but which could symbolise poverty.
The launch event in March 2025 was attended by over 100 people from businesses, charities and organisations across the County.
You can watch the whole launch here: https://youtu.be/0mddQmN5QLE and the highlights video here: https://youtu.be/QPWoovhHx4I
These are stories about real lives and contain details which some people may find upsetting.
Participant Feedback
Participants were asked four questions at the end of the launch event:
What has been memorable about today?
Without doubt, the stories were what people would take away with them, and the emotions they had invoked.
What will you do differently?
Participants responded from both a personal and professional perspective, showing a desire to advocate for change using the stories they had heard, by building alliances with others, and by challenging existing systems.
What have you gained from today?
Overall, participants reported feeling better informed; they felt they had a greater understanding of the experiences of those living with poverty and had gained insight. More than one mentioned that stories are a powerful way to engage with complex and multifaceted lives.
How do you feel now?
Overall responses were a mixture of positive and negatives, ranging from ‘exhausted’ to ‘inspired’.
Civic Commissioners
We have recently moved into the next stage of our commission and are beginning to meet with our new civic commissioners. We will be working closely with them for the next few months building relationships, identifying issues and forming working groups.
Find out more:
